NRC: Indian Point staff caused shutdown by mistake

Feb. 15, 2013

The Indian Point 2 reactor dome. / File photo / The Journal News

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BUCHANAN — Workers at the Indian Point nuclear complex mistakenly opened three valves that drained water from part of the steam-generator system at the plant, leading to this week’s shutdown of the Indian Point 2 reactor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Friday.

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the water remained in other parts of the closed system and nothing escaped. Control room operators manually shut down the reactor after pumps began to malfunction because of low suction pressure.

The pumps and other equipment are on the non-nuclear side of the plant. The opening of the three “dump valves” Wednesday afternoon was due to “a maintenance error,” Sheehan said.

Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said employees testing a different valve should have been told their work would affect the valves that let water drain from part of the system.

“The equipment operated as it was designed, and the control room operators responded appropriately,” Nappi said.

Sheehan said the incident would be assessed as part of the plant’s safety performance record. Both Indian Point 2 and 3 received a green rating for 2011, which means the inspection findings were considered of “very low safety significance.” The ratings are based on 11,000 hours of review.

Indian Point 3 continues to operate at full power during Indian Point 2’s shutdown. Nappi said Indian Point 2 is expected to come back online this weekend.